India exports 500 tonnes of hilsa to Bangladesh as fish trade flow reverses
According to traders, most of the consignments have been sourced from Gujarat and shipped through Bharuch port, while some supplies have moved through the Howrah wholesale fish market in West Bengal.
- Sep 15, 2026,
- Updated Sep 15, 2026 7:34 PM IST
In a reversal of the traditional hilsa trade between the two neighbours, India has exported around 500 tonnes of hilsa to Bangladesh over the past two months, with another 150-200 tonnes expected to be shipped in the coming weeks, according to fish traders, PTI reported.
The development comes amid reports of lower hilsa production in Bangladesh this year, prompting traders there to source the prized fish from India to meet domestic demand.
Gujarat hilsa finds buyers in Bangladesh
According to traders, most of the consignments have been sourced from Gujarat and shipped through Bharuch port, while some supplies have moved through the Howrah wholesale fish market in West Bengal.
“This is the first time hilsa from our country is being exported to Bangladesh. It is a welcome development. Most of the catch is from Gujarat,” Syed Anwar Maqsood, secretary of the Howrah Wholesale Fish Importers' Association, told PTI.
Gujarat hilsa has relatively limited demand in the Indian market because of its high roe content. However, this characteristic has made it attractive to Bangladeshi consumers, particularly in Chattogram and Sylhet, where roe-filled hilsa is in high demand.
Maqsood said some of the roe is extracted, processed and re-exported by Bangladeshi traders, while some of the imported fish is dried and sold as salted hilsa in the domestic market.
A reversal of the traditional trade route
The latest movement marks a significant change in the traditional hilsa trade. Bangladesh is one of the world's major hilsa-producing countries, and the fish holds an important place in the culinary and cultural traditions of Bengal on both sides of the border.
India has traditionally received hilsa consignments from Bangladesh, particularly ahead of Durga Puja. However, Bangladesh has currently paused hilsa exports to India.
Hilsa imports from Bangladesh into India have also faced restrictions for years. According to Maqsood, Bangladesh began permitting limited exports to India during the Durga Puja period from 2019.
The permitted quantities have not always translated into actual imports. In September 2024, Bangladesh allowed 2,420 tonnes of hilsa to be exported to India, but only 577 tonnes were reportedly imported. In September 2025, 1,200 tonnes were permitted, while actual imports stood at around 150 tonnes.
Opportunity for West Bengal
The changing trade pattern could also create opportunities for India's hilsa industry. Pradip Dey, director of the Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, told The Indian Express that the export of Indian hilsa to Bangladesh as a “strong market signal”, reflecting the fish's consumer demand and economic value.
He said the development could help West Bengal build a more sustainable and value-added hilsa economy through better fisheries management, post-harvest processing, cold-chain infrastructure and stronger market linkages.
Meanwhile, a delegation of the Fish Importers Association visited Dhaka in August and met Bangladesh's Commerce Secretary Ataur Rehman Khan. The association has also urged Bangladesh to lift restrictions on hilsa exports to India.
For now, however, the flow has reversed: Indian hilsa is moving into Bangladesh to bridge a supply gap in a market that has traditionally supplied the fish to India.
In a reversal of the traditional hilsa trade between the two neighbours, India has exported around 500 tonnes of hilsa to Bangladesh over the past two months, with another 150-200 tonnes expected to be shipped in the coming weeks, according to fish traders, PTI reported.
The development comes amid reports of lower hilsa production in Bangladesh this year, prompting traders there to source the prized fish from India to meet domestic demand.
Gujarat hilsa finds buyers in Bangladesh
According to traders, most of the consignments have been sourced from Gujarat and shipped through Bharuch port, while some supplies have moved through the Howrah wholesale fish market in West Bengal.
“This is the first time hilsa from our country is being exported to Bangladesh. It is a welcome development. Most of the catch is from Gujarat,” Syed Anwar Maqsood, secretary of the Howrah Wholesale Fish Importers' Association, told PTI.
Gujarat hilsa has relatively limited demand in the Indian market because of its high roe content. However, this characteristic has made it attractive to Bangladeshi consumers, particularly in Chattogram and Sylhet, where roe-filled hilsa is in high demand.
Maqsood said some of the roe is extracted, processed and re-exported by Bangladeshi traders, while some of the imported fish is dried and sold as salted hilsa in the domestic market.
A reversal of the traditional trade route
The latest movement marks a significant change in the traditional hilsa trade. Bangladesh is one of the world's major hilsa-producing countries, and the fish holds an important place in the culinary and cultural traditions of Bengal on both sides of the border.
India has traditionally received hilsa consignments from Bangladesh, particularly ahead of Durga Puja. However, Bangladesh has currently paused hilsa exports to India.
Hilsa imports from Bangladesh into India have also faced restrictions for years. According to Maqsood, Bangladesh began permitting limited exports to India during the Durga Puja period from 2019.
The permitted quantities have not always translated into actual imports. In September 2024, Bangladesh allowed 2,420 tonnes of hilsa to be exported to India, but only 577 tonnes were reportedly imported. In September 2025, 1,200 tonnes were permitted, while actual imports stood at around 150 tonnes.
Opportunity for West Bengal
The changing trade pattern could also create opportunities for India's hilsa industry. Pradip Dey, director of the Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, told The Indian Express that the export of Indian hilsa to Bangladesh as a “strong market signal”, reflecting the fish's consumer demand and economic value.
He said the development could help West Bengal build a more sustainable and value-added hilsa economy through better fisheries management, post-harvest processing, cold-chain infrastructure and stronger market linkages.
Meanwhile, a delegation of the Fish Importers Association visited Dhaka in August and met Bangladesh's Commerce Secretary Ataur Rehman Khan. The association has also urged Bangladesh to lift restrictions on hilsa exports to India.
For now, however, the flow has reversed: Indian hilsa is moving into Bangladesh to bridge a supply gap in a market that has traditionally supplied the fish to India.